"Where's Daemon?" Visenya barged into Jacearys's chambers unannounced. She sat down on his bed
without giving him a moment to realize what was happening.
"Are you alright?" Jacearys asked as he finished changing from his training clothes into more proper evening attire.
"No. Not quite." Visenya kept tapping her foot on the floor, fighting the urge not to go to the queen's chambers instead and rip her head off.
Jacearys walked across the room to his sister to look her in the eyes.
"Has something happened?" his voice still annoyingly calm, just like mothers. If Visenya inherited Rhaenyra's looks, Jacearys had inherited her temper.
The tapping on the floor increased. Visenya looked towards the closed door, still unsure just how much the guards would hear if she spoke loudly.
"Yes. Something has been happening for quite a while, it seems." she tried her hardest to whisper, but the anger in her heart made it quite difficult.
Jace's brows furrowed. He sat down next to the princess, waiting for an explanation.
"Grandsire is being poisoned. I think. Or perhaps the maesters are just utter idiots." Visenya started while looking at the door as if someone was to burge in at any given moment.
"Poisoned? What?" Jacearys shook his head and grabbed onto the bed harder.
"The cuts from the throne he had received have been poisoning him for as long as he's been king. With the proper treatment, they should have not made him reach such a state that he has. All they do is put empty bandages on him to cover him up and fill him up with Milk of the poppy day and night. And not only that-" Visenya stopped briefly. She inhaled slowly, before continuing. "The milk of the poppy is mixed with... Something. I've had it before, numerous times. We all have. But this..." she laid down on the bed before she could finish.
"Please don't tell me you drank it to prove your point." Jacearys looked over at his sister now laying on his bed, visibly turning paler. "You really can be an idiot sometimes."
"Bring me my basket." Visenya pointed her finger at the basket she had brought with her next to the door.
Jacearys jumped up to bring the basket over. Before letting Visenya say anymore, he started digging through it himself.
"Do not think I haven't learned a thing or two while hearing you mumble about these potions of yours for the past four years." he tried to make Visenya laugh as she visibly was drifting more and more into sleep.
"There." he proudly took out a sort of fruit or vegetable that looked rotten, but in ways unknown to Jace, has worked in the past. He took out a dagger from his belt and cut off a piece. As Visenya closed her eyes, he opened her mouth and plopped the piece in. A few seconds later, Visenya started coughing profusely as she spit out the piece on the floor. Jacearys stood up to go fetch her a glass of wine, which she drank up quickly.
"You truly are an idiot." Jace stood next to the door dumbfounded at the theatrics his sister had pulled only a few hours after they had arrived. Yet, it was not the worst she could have done.
After regaining composure, Visenya was quickly back to her usual self. "Your only sister almost died a moment ago and this is how you rejoice at her recovery?" she shook her head sarcastacly while standing up from the bed and heading towards the door.
Seeing as though Visenya had clearly been well enough to make such snarky remarks, Jacearys relaxed and started to laugh.
"I'm afraid the only person that might be able to kill such a snake as you is only yourself, dear sister." He hit her on the back while laughing, almost making her choke.
Each time he laughed he'd tend to hit whatever was near, and this time, with all of this stress, Visenya had forgotten to move out of the way. She could have sworn that her brother had two bricks tied to his hands, as anytime she would make the mistake of making him laugh and being near him, the hits she would receive from his hands felt like they might give her a concussion.
Just as Visenya was about to reach for the door handle to leave, Jacearys remembered why she came to him.
"Wait. Why were you searching for Daemon?"
"To tell him what I told you." she replied without turning around, thinking the conversation would end there.
"I don't think you should." He came closer to speak quieter. "You know how much hate he holds for the greens. And I heard that he already thinks they've been poisoning him. Imagine what he'll do when you confirm his suspicions."
And he was right. But since no matter how old, they were still brother and sister, Visenya would not admit that out loud and just nodded quickly before going through the door.
As Jacearys tried to shake off the chaos his sister had caused in no less than a few moments, her head popped in through the door once more.
"By the way. I heard Baela is arriving tomorrow." she cooed sarcasticaly.
Jace picked up a pillow from his bed and threw it towards her, but she managed to close the door before it hit her face. As Visenya walked away somewhat in a lighter mood, Jacearys walked up to his window and looked out into the sky, imagining Baela and Moondancer flying through the clouds.
.
.
.
The morning could not have come sooner. Visenya's eyes had been wide open since the first rays of sun had hit the castle walls. She was sat up on her bed all morning, searching through her notes about the throne, and who and why was cut by it. The only memorable one had been Maegor, the son of her namesake. If it had been magic, no doubt Visenya the first would have protected her son from it. No, it had to be poison.
Cutting herself on the throne would be too risky. Milk of the poppy she was familiar with, and could, as yesterday, obviously overcome. But whatever made Grandsire so sick had to be something else. Something ancient.
She dug deep inside her memories and knowledge, cursing herself for not bringing all of the books she had left back home with her.
As the commotion of the maids and guards once more lit up the halls, Visenya got up from her bed and started preparing herself for the visit to her grandsire. Carefully putting another bottle of the green liquid - the nectar from echinacea, some ointment and a few other bottles into the crate, she put it aside and covered it with a sheet of silk, to not garner too much attention.
Today was the day that Baela and Rhaenys would come on dragonback. In honor of them, Visenya dawned a deep blue dress with gold linings. Speaking her mind with her clothing had become a habit of hers, even if she'd speak her mind anyways most of the time.
Before she could head out of her chambers for the day, a knock came from the other side of the door.
"Princess, the Queen asks for your presence." a young woman's voice from outside.
Visenya rolled her eyes before quickly tossing her basked under her bed. Quickly fixing her hair, she opened the door to the maid with the sweetest smile. Although the morning had been restless, she had a goodnight's sleep, and was ready to take on another day of fake pleasantries and biting her tongue.
"Let's not keep her waiting then, shall we?"
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.
.
The queen stood in front of the tall window in her chambers. Looking out into the distance, as two dragons, one red and the other pale green got closer and closer towards the castle.
Her hands were steady, the blood dry, wounds often inflicted upon herself healing. Long, dark red hair was tied up neatly into a braid crown, much like the ones Helaena dawned, but rather than her daughter, the queen chose not to let any of her hair down ever since the accident a few years prior. Hair holds memories, they said. And if it were true, she wished she could cut it all of with one swing. But she was the queen, with an image to uphold. And the rumours she was mad would only increase had one day she decided to make good on her wishes.
Steady footsteps were getting closer and closer to her door. A slight pause. The queen turned her head. Ser Criston opened the door to let in Princess Visenya and Talya.
.
.
As they were getting closer to the door, Visenya tried to guess what the purpose of the queen asking her to come so early could be.
Always excpect the worse, then you're always ready. Daemon would say.
Hold your head high and breathe, that way no push, however strong can sweep you of your feet, mother would counter.
Slit her throat. A third voice whispered.
Visenya turned to Talya with widened eyes, for a second thinking it was she who uttered those words. But Talya only politely smiled and continued walking. Before Visenya could gather her thoughts and try to remember who's voice had uttered the third advice-
Him.
"Princess." Ser Criston bowed his head. Although one could barely call it a bow a princess deserved from a man below her rank. More so a nod, performed so quickly one could have missed it completely.
The memories of his face haunted Visenya from time to time. Not enough to torment her, but enough to make her teeth grind when facing him at this moment. Although his face in her dreams had been more pleasant. In her dreams, the young knight dawned a smile, his hair was long and flowing, his armor so clean it was almost reflective. A true knight in shinning armor.
The brute standing there now was anything but. Sure, he still had his handsome face, but it was now covered in a beard that seemed to only grown in properly in some places. His once long hair was cut short, and looked rather greasy, which might have always been the case, which her younger, naivè eyes back then chose to ignore. His armour was scratched and now more dark grey than silver. He looked her up and down like a sleazy wolf deciding whether or not to eat his prey.
But Visenya was not prey. Not anymore. She was a dragon. And perhaps once her scales were soft and easily penetrated, but the fire in her had grown burning hot since he'd last saw her. And as their eyes met, Criston had expected anything but the expression that he found in her - no hate, no malace, no lust or fear.
Nothing. Her eyes contained no expression. If her mouth had not exclaimed the words "Hello" he could have sworn she was a walking corpse.
Although her eyes were the lightest shade of blue, there was a darkness in them he had not perceived before.
He anticipated this moment for years. Their reunion. To make her crumble in front of him from embarassment, his mere face a reminder of the night they almost shared.
Instead, his fantasies crumbled as fast as she walked past him. No confrontation, no smile. Her look, her posture, her attidute made him feel exactly as she saw him - insignificant.
Swallowing his pride, Ser Criston quickly awerted his eyes to the right and stepped away to open the door to the queen's chambers.
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.
.
"Princess Visenya is here, your majesty." Talya bowed and stepped away from Visenya to take her place by Alicent's side.
"Your grace." Visenya curtsied. "To what do I own the honor?"
Each word out of her mouth made her thank whatever gods were out there for this interaction to be happening inside the queens room. Were Jace or Daemon here to hear her, no doubt one of them would have died from laughter by now.
Alicent's eyes examined Visenya's dress. Blue and gold lining, proudly representing her late father's house. She tried to avoid looking at her face for as long as she could. The resemblence was uncanny. Irritating. No trace of Laenor, just Rhaenyra, through and through.
"Princess." Alicent left her station at the window to come closer, and nodded for Talya to leave. As the doors closer and left them two alone, the Queen continued. "I was hoping to welcome you back to King's landing along with your mother and brothers, however I was surprised to hear you traveled seperatly. Nevertheless, I've decided to give you a seperate welcome as well."
As pleasant as the one my mother received.
"Your thoughtfullness is greatly appreciated." Visenya smiled, not letting her mask slip for a second.
Alicent returned the smile with a crooked one of her own. She wasn't as good with the fake pleasantries. And Visenya being a walking reminder of her childhood... Friend she had lost did not make it any easier to trust her. But the girl was young, Helaena cared for her and Larys could not find anything that would lead to believe the girl was not proper.
An awkward silence filled the room.
"Tell me, princess." Alicent started as she walked down to get a cup of wine. She poured one for Visenya too. "Why has your mother not agreed on a bethrothal to any of her children yet?"
Why aren't you bethrothed yet.
The princess averted her eyes to the floor. She took one sip of the wine before softly answering.
"The matters of my hand is none of my bussiness, my Queen. I trust my mother and step-father will find an honorable match that will be blessed by the king." she placed the cup back on the table. "And I will do my duty when the time comes."
Now would be the time when mother would have started laughing as well.
"I see." Alicent had heard all that she had to. "Thank you for coming, princess. Enjoy your day."
Visenya curtsied once more before turning to the door to exit. Yet again ignoring Ser Criston and smiling yo Talya, she walked calmly and wore an innocent smile as long as she felt the Queen or her pets still watching.